Kyla Decker arrives at the clinic looking stylish in her new, blush-pink raincoat, and we agree that having a coloured rain jacket is essential for our dark and rainy winters. After drying off from the rain, we settle in, and begin discussing how Kyla went from graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Victoria to becoming clinical director at Renu Laser and Skin Care Centre.

“My dad wanted to branch out from his medical practice as a family practitioner into aesthetics. He asked If I wanted to get into the business with him, and now we have been practising for a combined 15 years,” explains Kyla.

It’s hard not to notice how radiant Kyla’s skin is.

“I have always been into skincare and skin health. I’ve practised the full skin regime of washing your face, and using toner and moisturizer since grade 9. I love that I now get to educate my clients on skincare too.”

Showing me one of her one of her go-to products, she says, “I don’t wear foundation, instead I wear a powdered sunscreen and put it on every morning. Sunscreen is so important! It’s easier to prevent sun damage than to fix it later down the road.”

In addition to using sunscreen everyday, she says, photorejuvenation is also important: “I think everyone who is a candidate for the treatment should have it once a year. It gets rid of all the reds and browns that most of us have, and it makes your skin just glow.”

Kyla’s love of fashion became evident as she displayed outfit options for the photo shoot. In discussing style, Kyla confesses she tends to be an “emotional dresser.”

“If I’m tired or not feeling the best, I like to dress cosy. If I’m feeling vibrant and everything is great, I will dress up. I don’t particularly follow every trend. I tend to choose what works best for me. I’m more classic with a twist.”

Outside of work, Kyla runs, hikes and takes spin classes.

“I also love to go camping, and do other outdoor adventures with my husband and two young daughters.”

Kyla is very close to her family, and asked about her future, she points out how lucky she is to have a good work/life balance at the moment.

“I want to have time with my family. We are a very close family, with my dad being the physician here at the clinic. My mom is a nurse at Brentwood. And I try to savour the moments I have with the kids — the cuddles, books and the ‘I love you’s.’”

Being a good role model to her children is very important to Kyla, who sometimes gets asked how she explains to her girls what she does at work.

“We talk about it as skin health, and why it’s important for people to care for it. You can be a strong woman, a strong mom — beautiful from the inside and out! You can also take care of yourself. It’s not a bad thing. It’s also important to have kindness and empathy towards other girls/women, and try to accept that everyone is different in how they feel beauty looks to them.”